Ribbon mechanism for type-writing machines



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( No Model.) v

. A. T. BROWN. v RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES.

No. 503.736. Patnted Aug 22, 1893.

O O 0 O O O O O vwamtoz (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. T. BROWN. RIBBONMEOHANISM FOR TYPE WRITING MACHINES. No. 503;736. rPatented Aug. 22, 1 93.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

A, T. BROWN. RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPBW RITIN G MACHINES Nq. 503,736.PatentedAugi '22. 189's.

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v A-. TJBRQ N. RIBBON MECHANISM FOR T'YPE WRITING MACHINES.

. No.'503,73.6; Patented Aug. 22,1393.

llllllillllll UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER T. BROWN, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK.

RIBBON MECHANISM FOR TYPE-WRITING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 503,736, dated August22, 1893.

Application filed January 25, 1892. Serial No. 419,206. (No model.)

machine in which the ribbon may travel in such directions as to presentsubstantially its entire surface to the printing action; also to movethe ribbon by connections from the carriage, so as to traverse theentire surface of the ribbon without regard to the length of movement ofthe carriage/f also, to mount the ribbon in the machine that itsdirection of movement may be quickly changed; also, to move theoperative ribbon surface slightly with each key or letter spacingmovement of the machine; also, to enable the ribbon to be shiftedquickly from the central part of the machine, to permit ready access tothe type levers in cleaning; also, to improve details of the ribbonsupporting and operating mechanlsm.

Figure 1, is a top plan view of so much of a type writing machine as isconsidered necessary to illustrate the invention, the roller platenbeing omitted, as well as other parts of the machine, and the improvedribbon mechanism applied. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal sec-- tion showingparts of the machine and specially the ribbon supporting and operatingmechanism, the roller being omitted. Fig. 3, is an end view of parts ofthe machine showing specially the ribbon apparatus. Fig. 4, is a sectionthrough the ribbon reel and supporting shaft at one end of the machine,showing parts for reversing the movement of ribbon in elevation. Fig. 5,is a perspective detail of the ribbon support above the top plate of themain frame, showing a part of the ribbon and broken parts of theactuating-mechanism. Fig. 6, is a perspective detail of the cam shaft bywhich the ribbon pawls are controlled. Fig. 7, is a perspective detailof the cam and ratchets by which the ribbon moving lever is operated. Fi8, is a front elevation of one of the ribbon spool ratchets and itsengaging pawl. Fig. 9, is a side elevation and partial section of somuch of the ribbon shifting device as is necessary to show thecomplement of the lever 83, Fig. 4. Fig. 10, is a perspective detail ofthe hook by which the swinging lever 5 is connected to the mechanism formoving plate 20. Fig. 11, is a plan of a modification. Fig. 12, is aplan of another modification.

I have shown the ribbon mechanism attached to a machine having a generalresemblance to the machine patented to me December 22, 1891, No.465,451, but as will appear, the ribbon mechanism may be attached to anyone of several machines now on the market, with but slight change to thegeneral structure of the machine,and I desire to claim the novelfeatures of my present invention, wherever and however the same may beapplied to type writing or analogous machines.

A indicates the frame of a type writing machine, and B the top platethereof, on which or near which the type bars are supported, plate Bhaving a central opening, in the center of which the type bars strikeupward, as is common in the Standard, Galigraph, Premier, and perhapsother machines. 0 denotes the carriage, and D D the ways or tracks onwhich said carriage is guided in its endwise movement on the machine.

On the rear track D I form bearings 1, in which bearings a rod 2 mayreciprocate 1ongitudinally, the rod 2 thus moving parallel with saidtrack D. Rod 2 has a hook 3 pivoted thereto, and this hook may engage apin 4 at the top of lever 5, or may be detached from said pin and lever.The hook 3 serves as a handle, and, when not engaged with 1ever 5,therod 2 may he slipped lengthwise by the hand of the operator, thuscarrying plate 20, hereinafter referred to, away from the center of themachine. Lever 5 is pivoted at its lower end to any convenient supporton the frame, in this case shown to be the shaft E, by which tension isregulated on the carriage moving spring F. But it is not essential thatlever 5 shall be so mounted, as its pivot may be at any convenient pointon the frame. The lever 5 has an opening or cam slot 6, in which acam 7has alternate engagement at opposite sides. Cam '7 is carried by shaftG, andcam 7' may be connected to shaft 'G'so as to rotate therewith, andthus swing the lever alternately from one side to the other,rocking saidlever on its pivot E. Shaft G is the axis of sleeve K,and sleeve Kis'the' 23 and 24, and the Ih0I11b0lda1 S6.Ct*iQn 11 of the loop or tuckin the ribbon, between said slots, will constantly change. The guide 20,as it shifts, moves the rhomboidal section 11 of the ribbon lengthwiseof the machine, but

the part of the ribbon which forms this rhomboidal surface is constantlychanging, and moving from the fronttoward the rear of the machine, orvice versa,so that each letter as it strikes upward will strike a newpoint on v the ribbon. Thus the longitudinal movement of guide 20,causes a transverse and a longitudinal movement of each part of theribbon surface embraced in therhomboid, 11*.

gage said ratchet wheels, and so cause the cam to rotate, as the shaft Grotates during the forward movement of the carriage; during thebackwardmovement of the carriage the pawl S rides over the ratchet teeth R, and

paw-l S holds against the ratchet B so that cam Z and lever 5 are notmoved. Thus the lever 5 continues its movement. to the extent of itsstroke before it swings back on its pivot,

whether the carriage moves a long or.-short When the upper end of lever5' swings back and forth, lengthwise of the m.a-,

distance.

chine, if said lever is connected by its hook 3 to the rod 2, said rod 2will move length wise of the machine, in the hearings or slide ways 1.v

A plate 20, which may be called the ribbon guide, has one end attachedto rod 2, and the other end of said plate is guided by a guide bar 21 ina groove in the front way or track D, or. in other suitable supportbelow the position of the carriage, when applied to a machine iii whichthe platen is above the printing point. The plate 20 has an opening 22near its central portion, to permit the printing characters to strikeupward through said opening toward the paper supported above the same.In front and in rear of this opening there are oblique slots or bearingsurfaces 23 and 24, each extending preferably at an angle of forty-fivedegrees to the rod 2. Bars or spindles may be used instead of a slottedplate.

The ribbon 11 is wound on spools 10 and 12, one near the front and theother'near the rear corner, at opposite ends of the machine. The centralportion of the ribbon, after leaving spool 10, passes along parallelwith the track D until it reaches plate 20, then extends through slot23, turns toward the rear, forming a diagonal or bias fold, and then bya second similar turn or fold, passes through slot 24, and thence leadsnear trackor way D' toward the spool 12. The section 11* of the ribbon,between slots 23 and 24, will be aloop or tuck in form of a rhomboid,and the side presented uppermost will be the reverse of that betweensaid slots and the end of the machine. Now, if the spools or reels 10and 12 be held from rotation, it is apparent thatthe ribbon 11 willhaveno longitudinal movement; but as plate 20 reciprocateslengthwise of themachine, the ribbon will slip through the slots As 1n my Patent No.465,451, the escapement, actuated by the movement of a key, permits thelengthwise movement of the carriage to space between letters, andthrough the train of mechanism hereinbefore described, causes a slightshift of the ribbon, corresponding to said space; But if there were noarrangement for shifting the ribbon endwise, the part of the" ribbonembraced in the rhomboid 11 would soon be worn out, or at leastexhausted of ink. j

To secure a step by step longitudinal movement of the ribbon, one or theother of the .spools 10, 12 is caused to rotate a short distance witheach shift of the guide 20. In the machine illustrated this movement iscaused by thetrain of mechanism now about to be described. Theribbonspool 10 is attached 1 to a. short shaft G,which for conveniencehas a bearing in the hub or ratchet R, or in the end of shaft G, butshaft G is free to rotate 1 quite independently of shaft G, and'a crank"G attached to said shaft serves to wind the ribbon on the spool 10.Spool 10 has a crown ratchet wheel 15 firmly connected thereto. A'link30 connects an arm of lever 5 to a twoarmed lever 31, which lever 31 isrigidly connected to a rock shaft 32. Shaft 32 has bearings in theframe, at each end of the machine, and said shaft rocks when lever 31 ismoved by link 30. A pawl 33 is connected to the end of lever 31 oppositeto link 30, and extends upward into position to engage the ratchet 15 onspool 10, being drawn toward said ratchet by spring 34, which isconnected to the pawland any convenient part-of the frame. A rockshaft36 extends from end to end of the frame, and bears a cam 35, and a shaft36 may be turned to throw the pawl 33 out of engagement with the ratchetwheel 15. The upper end of pawl 33 has. a cross bar 39, witha notch 38therein, which notch straddles the shaft G, and serves as a guide to thepawl in its vertical movement. The opposite ends of cross bar 30 engagethe teeth of crown ratchet 15, one of said ends engaging a tooth on theupstroke of the pawl, and riding over the tooth on the down-stroke, andthe other end engaging onthe down-stroke and riding over the teeth onthe upstroke. The edges of cross-bar 39 are bent inward to conform tothe teeth. Thepivotal connection of pawl 33 with lever 31, or theelasticity of the bar, permit the very slight rocking necessary to bringthe opposite ends of bar 39 into operative engagement with the crownratchet teeth. At the other end of shaft 32 an arm 41 rigid with saidshaft, carries a pawl 43, which has a cross bar 49, and pawl 43 operateson crown ratchet 16 of ribbon spool 12, precisely as has been describedas the operation of pawl 33 on ratchet 15. Preferably the ratchets 15and 16 face one toward the front and the other toward the rear of themachine. The cams or eccentrics 35 and 45 on rock shaft 36 are inposition to throw one pawl, as 33, out of engagement with itsratchet,while the other, as 43, is in engagement with its ratchet. Thustherock shaft 32 will cause a step by step feed of the ribbon in onedirection or the other, and the direction can be at any time changed byrocking shaft 36 by means of crank 46. Rock shaft 36 will be supportedin suitable hearings on the frame, preferably above the key shafts orlevers. The spool 12 is supported on a shaft G and the ribbon spools maybe turned by hand, (in the direction permitted by the engagement of thepawls with their respective ratchets) by means of small cranks G at theends of the spool shafts. Of course it is not essential to the operationof the ribbon that the step by step movement be produced by theparticular ratchet mechanism I have described, as many other well knownmechanisms will produce a similar movement. I consider this particularmechanism well adapted for use with the machine I have heretoforepatented, as stated. The hook 3 may quickly be detached from the lever5, and the bar 2 can then be drawn lengthwise, moving the plate 20 withit. This removes the ribbon from the central part of the machine, sothat ready access may be had to the type at the center of the typebasket for cleaning the same, or for the application of a wrench or keyfor rotating a brush, as in the Premier machine.

In the modification shown in Fig. 11, the carriage 0' runs on ways onthe top plate 13 of the machine as usual. Near one front and one rearcorner of the inside of the carriage frame there are oblique bars 60,61, and these oblique bars serve as ribbon guides. The ribbon 11 iscarried on suitable reels or supports, which may be such as have beendescribed, or other usual or equivalent construction. The ribbon extendsfrom one of these reels, nearly parallel with the frame of the carriage,passes over the bar 60, thence by an oblique turn to the bar or guide61, and then by a return bend to the second reel or support, therhomboidal part of the ribbon, 11", between the guides, being thatportion which the type will strike in striking upward toward the paper.It will be understood that the longitudinal reciprocation of thecarriage draws the ribbon across the guides and 61, so that therhomboidal section 11 is constantly changing. In this modification saidrhomboidal section necessarily changes with each reciprocation of thecarriage. The medial line of said section parallel with the sides of thecarriage must be as long as the longest line to be printed.

In Fig. 12 the ribbon guide is shown as connected to the bar 2, which issupported 111 bearings 1, as has been described of the device shown inFig. 1. The bar 2 has notches 72, in one face, and a spring 73 attachedto one of the bearings 1 enters one of these notches, and holds the bar2 in any position to which it may be adjusted, lengthwise of themachine. In this modificationthe bar 2 is supposed to be detached fromthe lever 5 (Fig. 1.) Now if the ribbon be given a long1-' tudinalmovement, a certain portion of the ribbon, which will be in a lineparallel with the edges of the ribbon, will be struck by the printingcharacters. But by moving the guide 70 lengthwise on the machine, as bydrawing bar 2 so that the spring engages another notch 72, the positionof the rhomboidal section 11 will be slightly changed, and anotherlongitudinal line of the ribbon will be used.

Of course many other constructions might be adopted to produce similarresults. Ihave illustrated and described devices known to me, as beingthe best with which I am at present acquainted, but I do not confinemyself generally in my claims to precise constructions, as I have mademany other modifications, all Within the scope of my invention.

What I claim is- 1. In a type writing machine, aribbon guide under thecarriage having oblique ribbon supporting surfaces, around which theribbon passes, and means connected to the carriagemoving apparatus forreciprocating said guide longitudinally and automatically during thelongitudinal movement of the carriage, all combined substantially asdescribed.

2. In a type writing machine, a ribbon guide over which the ribbonpasses, automatic mechanism connected to the carriage moving devices andfor shifting said guide lengthwise of the machine, and means for movingthe ribbon lengthwise independently of the ribbon guide, in combinationsubstantially as described.

3. In a type writing machine, a ribbon guide having an open center andoblique ribbon bearing surfaces, means for shiftingsaid guide lengthwiseof the machine, and a catch by which the guide may be connected to ordisconnected from the shifting mechanism, all combined substantially asdescribed.

4:- In a type writing machine, a ribbon guide, alongitudinally movablebar to which said guide is connected, and a lever pivotally connected tothe frame, and having detachable engagement with said bar, with meansfor rocking said lever on its pivot, all combined substantially asdescribed.

5. In a type writing machine, the ribbon supporting guide, a'lever hungin the frame and connected to said guide to shift the samelongitudinally, and a cam connected to the plurality of oblique surfacesround which the IlbbOIl is looped, whereby a movement of the guide inthe direction of the length of the ribbon moves the loop withoutslacking or movcarriage-moving mechanism and bearing on said lever, theparts in combination substanon the shaft and engaging said lever, aratchet 1 wheel connected to the shaft and having pawl engagement withthe cam to turn the same in one direction and thus swing the lever, anda rlbbon guide connected to said lever and moved thereby, all combinedsubstantially as described.

7. In a typewriting machine, the ribbonsupports at opposite ends of themachine, and the ribbon guide between said supports having a ing themain part of the ribbon.

stant-ially as described.

and means for shifting said guide simu'ltaneribbon guide having obliquebearing surfaces respectlvely near the front and rear of the'carrlageacross which surfaces the ribbon passes,

ously with the carriage movement, all combined substantially asdescribed.

10. The combination of the rock shaft 32 having an arm at each end, apawl pivoted to said arm, the ribbon reels having rat'chets w1th whichsaid pawls engage, and a rock shaft 36 having cams opposite said pawls,3

serving to engage one pawl and disengage the other with a singlemovement of the shaft 36, substantially as described.

11. The combination of the ribbon reel having a crown ratchet asdescribed,a pawl having across-bar extending across the face of saidcrown ratchet, and means for actuating said pawl to turn the ribbon reelboth with the advance and theretreat of said pawl during the carriagemovement, substantially as described.

12. ThepOmbination of the reel shaft the at one end, the pawl having anotched crossbar straddling the spool shaft and the ends of the barengaging the ratchet teeth at opposite sides and in opposite directions,and means for reciprocating said pawl as the carriage moves, allsubstantially as described.

13. In a type writing machine, a ribbon guide having bearing'surfacesextending obliquely with reference to the sides of the machine and meansfor transversing said ribbon guide automatically lengthwise of theribbon, substantially as-desc-ribed.

14. In a type writing machine, the ribbon reels at the ends of themachine having their axes practically parallel, the oblique ribbon guidearound which the ribbon passes, and means for adjusting said guide withreference to the ribbon reels, and means for automatically shifting saidguide, connected to the guide and. carriage shifting mechanism incombination substantially as described.

8. The combination with the supporting frame,of two ribbon reels atopposite ends of E the frame, one of said reels being near the front andthe other near the rear of the frame, i and a ribbon guide over whichsaid ribbon? passes, the guide having inclined surfaces about which theribbon turns obliquely, sub- 1' 15. In a typewriting machine, the ribbonsupports at opposite ends of the machine, an adjustable ribbon guidebetween said supports round which the ribbon passes with oblique turns,whereby said guide may be moved lengthwise of the ribbon withoutslacking the tension thereof, and means for holding said guide in itsrelation to the work- 9. In a typewriting machine, the ribbon reels 5supported on relatively stationary bearingsv near the front and rear ofthe carriage, the

ing parts, and for shifting it by hand in the direction of the length ofthe ribbon, all combined substantially as described.

- 16. In a type writing machine, the ribbon reels, a ribbon guide havingobliquesurfaces over which the ribbon passes, and a train of drivingmechanism connected to said guide and actuated by the carriage movementin one direction only substantially as described so that the .ribbonguide completes its movement, no matter fromwhat point the carriage maybe retracted, substantially as described.

17. In a type writing machine, the ribbon reels, the ribbon guide havingoblique bearing surfaces, a bar connected to said guide, and aratchetand pawl mechanism operating on said bar through suitable intermediates,to shift the ribbon guide as the carriage moves in one direction, but topermit a lost motion as the carriage moves in the other direction,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- ALEXANDER T. BROWN. Witnesses:

PHILIP F. LARNER, W. A. BARTLETT.

